NCAA WOMEN'S FROZEN FOUR
Frozen Four semis: a rivalry (Gophers vs. Badgers) and another intriguing matchup
Ohio State has been a perennial power, and Northeastern is riding a 22-game win streak into Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
March 16, 2023 at 11:50PM
Amsoil Arena, Duluth
Friday's semifinals
Ohio State vs. Northeastern, 2:30 p.m.
Gophers vs. Wisconsin, 6 p.m.
Sunday's championship game: 3 p.m.
TV/streaming: ESPN+ (semifinals), ESPNU (finals)
Ohio State update: The defending NCAA champions punched their ticket to Duluth with a 5-2 victory over Quinnipiac in last Saturday's regional finals. The Buckeyes (32-5-2) stand second in the nation in scoring with 4.26 goals per game and are led by D Sophie Jaques, one of three finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top player in women's college hockey. Jaques has 24 goals this season and 61 for her career, a WCHA record for defensemen. The Buckeyes are in the Frozen Four for the third consecutive year and are 6-2 all-time in NCAA tournament play.
Northeastern update: The fifth-ranked Huskies (34-2-1) enter the Frozen Four on a 22-game win streak, with their last loss on Nov. 15 at Providence. They defeated Yale 4-1 to reach the Frozen Four for the third year in a row. F Alina Mueller, the top scorer in program history with 254 points, is a three-time Hockey East player of the year and a finalist for the Kazmaier Award. G Gwyneth Philips leads the nation in goals-against average (0.81), save percentage (.961) and wins (34).
Wisconsin update: The No. 6 Badgers (27-10-2) advanced to their eighth Frozen Four in the past nine seasons with a 4-2 upset of No. 3 Colgate in the regional finals. The Badgers have a 4-4 record against the Gophers in the NCAA tournament, with two victories in a row — including the 2019 title game. Freshman D Caroline Harvey was named WCHA rookie of the year and has 38 points, most among the league's first-year players. F Casey O'Brien (19 goals, 29 assists) paces an offense that averages 4.23 goals per game, third-best in the nation.
Gophers update: This weekend marks the Gophers' 15th appearance in the Frozen Four, the most of any team. They have six NCAA championships, tied with Wisconsin for the most in history. The Gophers (30-5-3) have the nation's highest-scoring offense, led by forwards Taylor Heise (29 goals, 36 assists), Grace Zumwinkle (25 goals, 36 assists) and Abbey Murphy (29 goals, 21 assists). G Skylar Vetter has sharpened her game in postseason play; she has surrendered only five goals in five games and earned two shutouts, including a 3-0 victory over Minnesota Duluth in the NCAA regional final.
Sam Rinzel had two of the Gophers’ three power play goals against the Irish.
